2011 Business Planning: Where Will Your Business Plan Take You?

A business plan is a map that leads an organization on one of an endless number of possible journeys. It provides a common understanding to internal stakeholders and is a communication tool to the external world of company’s values, goals, and business sustainability strategies. So what is your plan saying and where will it ultimately take you?

In today’s complex economic climate, companies are redefining traditional business goals to include a broader definition of business sustainability. Economic objectives are merging equally with environmental and social measures to deliver a more sustainable business future.

Now is the perfect time to revisit your business plan and make changes for a new business environment. As sustainability consultant to small and growing businesses, I advise my clients to develop a business plan with sustainability concepts in mind.

Take the opportunity to change the direction of your company or tweak its current direction to capitalize on growing eco awareness.
Build business sustainability into core processes to reduce cost, increase revenue, mitigate risk, and increase investment potential.
Meet with employees, customer, suppliers, and inventors to align the business sustainability plan with align stakeholder concerns.
Integrate sustainability into your supply chain.

Implementing business sustainability in today’s environment can be a delicate balance between planning for today and planning for the future. While many organizations are taking more conservative action, our sustainability consulting finds leading companies are reevaluating and retooling for the future. A business sustainability plan can be the framework that brings it all together.